EU shipping laws to leave millions of CO2 emissions unregulated, research shows
Over 25 million tonnes of CO2 could be left unregulated if the EU’s proposal on shipping carbon pricing was to pass.
Drafted in July, the European Commission’s proposal sets out for shipping to be added to the EU’s emission trading system from 2023 over a three-year period to gradually phase out greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
According to environmental NGO Transport & Environment, the exemptions contained in the proposal – which don’t apply to ships servicing oil and gas facilities as well as yachts and ships below 5,0000t– will undermine the aim to reduce shipping’s environmental footprint.
“It’s good that the EU is finally trying to address shipping’s appalling climate impact,” said Transport & Environment’s sustainable shipping officer Jacob Armstrong.
“But its proposal based on arbitrary loopholes lets too many heavily polluting vessels off the hook. The EU must rethink its shipping laws to ensure that millions of tonnes of CO2 don’t go unregulated.”
Transport & Environment has recommended changing the approach from size to the amount of CO2 emissions a vessel produces, setting the carbon threshold to 1,000t of GHG emissions per year, as it would cover 12 per cent more emissions than the current proposal.
Morning Wire has reached out to the European Commission for comment.